CIVIC ACTION MAY RE-ROUTE CONTROVERSIAL TRANS-

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 YEREVAN 001066

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

DEPT FOR EUR/CACEN, OES, INR

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL SENV AM
SUBJECT: CIVIC ACTION MAY RE-ROUTE CONTROVERSIAL TRANS-
SHIKAGOGH HIGHWAY PROJECT



1. (U) Sensitive But Unclassified. Treat Accordingly.

--------------
SUMMARY
--------------


2. (SBU) The Ministry of Transport and Communication
announced plans earlier this spring to construct a
highway that some NGOs claim would destroy one of the
last remaining forest reserves in Armenia. An
organized civic campaign against the plan has spurred
rumors that the GOAM is possibly re-considering the
controversial highway project. In response to early
criticism, the GOAM cited "strategic" reasons for
choosing the particular route, noting its proximity to
Azerbaijan. Early reports indicated that GOAM
officials at the highest levels were in support of the
project.

--------------
NGOS RAISE ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS
--------------


3. (SBU) The Ministry of Transport and Communication
announced plans to construct a highway in the southern
part of the country to circumvent the problematic,
often impassable Karajan pass. NGOs decried the
decision, saying the project would destroy one of the
last remaining forest reserves, increase pollution,
damage wildlife, and attract illegal logging. The
World Wildlife Federation and United Nations site the
Shikahogh Reserve, established in 1958, as home to many
rare and endangered plant and animal species, including
the country's only 5-7 rare Persian leopards.
According to the NGOs, the Shikahogh Reserve is the
only virgin oak forest area in Armenia.

--------------
CRITICS CITE POLITICAL PROBLEMS
--------------


4. (SBU) Jeffrey Tufenkian of the Armenian Forests NGO
asserts that, in addition to environmental degradation,
the highway project violates numerous national and
international nature protection laws. They claim the
project would also violate the Convention on
Biodiversity (1992),the Convention on Combating
Desertification (1994),and the Convention on Access to
Information, Public Participation in Decision-Making,
and Justice in Environmental Matter (1998). An
unprecedented letter writing campaign organized May 20-
25 by NGOs (and high-profile Diasporans) reportedly
targeted President Robert Kocharian, Prime Minister
Andranik Margaryan and Prosecutor General Aghvan
Hovsepyan.

--------------
MINISTER THREATENS TO RESIGN
--------------


5. (SBU) A loose coalition of NGOs approached
international donors (including the USG) in protest
over the project. The group has hosted a series of
meetings in Yerevan and the outlying regions to attract
attention to the issue. According to these NGOs, GOAM
officials were using the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh
and citing "security considerations" as a way to scare
officials in the Ministry of Nature Protection into
lobbying to change the status of the reserve so that it
could be more easily accessed for the highway project.
In early June, Minister of Nature Protection Vardan
Ayvazyan (a close ally of both the Prime Minister and
Defense Minister) surprised observers during a meeting
with environmental NGOs by suggesting he would resign
unless the GOAM reversed its decision on the project.
While there was little formal reaction from the GOAM to
Ayvazyan's comments, the NGO community welcomed the
move as a brave act of dissent.

--------------
CHANGING COURSE ON THE PROJECT?
--------------


5. (SBU) Recent press reports suggest that these NGOs'
efforts may be having some effect as GOAM officials are
now allegedly "studying" two alternate routes for the
project. While the Transport and Communication
Ministry has not confirmed they are looking at an
alternate route, rumors in a local daily said June 15
that the government had given into internal and
external pressure and had decided to change the route
of the highway. Comments made by both the Minster of
Transport and Minister of nature Protection during a
June 17 public forum appeared to confirm these rumors.

--------------
COMMENT
--------------


6. (SBU) When coupled with the efforts of student
groups last year that ended in reforms to the GOAM's
law on the draft, civic groups are beginning to gain
influence on some policy issues in Armenia. While the
environmental and economic aspects of the proposed
project are important, we think the continuing trend
towards responsiveness of the government to concerns
raised by civil society is particularly noteworthy.
EVANS